Critical failure

FIRST came disbelief. How could the only country to have suffered the lingering terror of a nuclear attack accidentally let uranium reach critical mass? How could a technologically sophisticated nation make such a mistake?

Next comes shock and cynicism. The runaway chain reaction at Tokaimura last week cannot be blamed on fractured pipes, equipment failures or software glitches. Nor were workers fighting for their lives or doing anything particularly tricky. They were just following a routinea routine that, tragically for them, involved taking a short cut that positively invited a criticality accident.

Simply to blame the workers makes no sense. If the managers and regulators of nuclear plants can't make them immune to obvious sources of human error and tampering, they are not doing their job. Humiliation is seldom a pretty sight, but from all accounts of the accident Koji Kitani, president of the company that runs the Tokaimura plant, ...

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